In the center of the Diamond Kingdom, the Carbink without diamonds reported anxiously to the elder Carbink before it.
(Lord Magi, this is the situation. A Sableye has already discovered us.)
"Mi-si mi-si!"
(We must leave immediately and take the others somewhere else!)
The elder Carbink gestured for it to calm down.
Its gaze then fell upon the only human present.
A gentle, aged voice suddenly sounded directly in Hayato Sora's mind.
"Human, thank you for saving my people. On behalf of the Diamond Kingdom, I express our gratitude."
The elder Carbink bowed slightly.
Its voice carried a hint of apology.
"However, I'm afraid we cannot host you properly right now."
"That's alright."
Hayato Sora waved his hand calmly.
"You're planning to relocate, right?"
He clearly understood the predatory relationship between Carbink and Sableye.
If they didn't move, the thirty or so Carbink before him would eventually become Sableye's food.
He only asked to confirm it.
"Yes. Since Sableye have discovered us, we must relocate."
The elder Carbink gave a firm answer.
It still felt regretful that it couldn't properly host their savior.
"Have you decided where you want to move to?" Hayato Sora asked again.
"..."
Clearly, the Carbink had not thought that far ahead.
They had only recently settled here.
Their underground kingdom's foundation wasn't even finished yet.
Without the energy provided by the Diamond Kingdom's environment, Carbink had difficulty defending themselves against Sableye.
They didn't want to abandon their home.
But the situation left them no choice.
"I actually know a good place," Hayato Sora said.
"There are no Sableye there."
Hayato Sora began enthusiastically recommending his ranch, hoping to convince the Carbink to move there.
If they settled at the ranch, then whenever he left with his Pokémon, there would be an entire squad of guards protecting the ranch.
In return, the Carbink wouldn't have to worry about Sableye attacks anymore.
Just the Tempered Noivern alone would be far beyond what Sableye could handle.
If one dared show up—
Its gemstone eyes would probably get knocked right out.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
However, Hayato Sora's suggestion left the elder Carbink silent for quite a while.
Because it had lived longer and once served as an official in the Diamond Kingdom, it understood humans better than the other naïve Carbink around it.
Their sparkling diamond bodies were extremely valuable in human society.
Hayato Sora also understood what the elder Carbink was thinking.
After all, his invitation sounded suspiciously similar to saying:
"My place is pretty big. Want to come over?"
Anyone could see how questionable that sounded.
But Hayato Sora had prepared for this.
He reached into his Spatial Satchel and took out the payment Pyroar had given him earlier.
A Flame Orb, about the size of a fist.
This had originally been a gift the Carbink brought to Pyroar, the local apex Pokémon of Route 12.
[Flame Orb]
A sphere containing extremely pure Fire-type energy.
It constantly emits intense heat, and prolonged contact can cause a burn.
"This orb was given to me by Pyroar."
"You can trust me now, right?"
"Mi-si~!"
(That's the orb we gave to Boss Pyroar!)
A wave of commotion spread through the Carbink group.
If Pyroar acknowledged this human—
Then he was trustworthy.
"Human, relocation is a serious matter. Please allow us some time to think."
"No problem."
Hayato Sora nodded and put away the Flame Orb.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
A group of Carbink escorted Hayato Sora out of the cave.
By the time he left, the Mudsdale were carrying several loads of dark black stones on their backs.
"Mi-si mi-si…"
"That's enough, that's enough."
"These are more than enough for paving the road."
At the cave entrance, Hayato Sora said goodbye and reminded them to stay cautious of Sableye.
Then he returned to the ranch with the three Mudsdale.
The Pokémon at the ranch rushed out happily to welcome them.
Cinccino jumped onto Hayato Sora's shoulder and pointed at the black stones on Mudsdale's back.
"Li-li?"
Hayato Sora scooped it up and gave it a good rub while also patting Smoliv.
"These are stones formed from solidified underground magma. Even Mudsdale can't break them by stepping on them."
"Li?!"
Cinccino's tiny body froze in shock.
Even Mudsdale couldn't crush them?
That meant these black stones were incredibly hard.
After dispersing the curious Pokémon crowd, Hayato Sora began paving the road with the Mudsdale.
They started from the ranch gate, laying the path section by section.
Before paving, he first had to plan the route.
Grass and loose soil on the ground had to be cleared first.
Cinccino, the Mareep, and the Meowth eagerly volunteered to help.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Hayato Sora handed that task to them.
Meanwhile, he called one Mudsdale over.
"Mudsdale, after they clear the ground, use Stomping Tantrum to compact the soil."
"Brr!"
Mudsdale neighed and began working under Hayato Sora's direction.
Its heavy boot-like hooves stomped rhythmically against the ground.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The loose earth quickly became firm and level.
A road clearly distinct from the surrounding ground began to appear.
"Li-li!"
(Mudsdale is amazing!)
Cinccino's eyes sparkled as it cheered from the side.
The Meowth were just as impressed.
All the Pokémon on the ranch were incredible.
They had to work harder too.
The Alolan Meowth reached into its Spatial Satchel—
Only to find empty paws.
Oh no.
It had already eaten all its dorayaki.
Brave Mareep wanted to help as well.
But Happy Mareep stopped it from interfering with Mudsdale's work.
To ensure the road lasted a long time, a proper foundation layer was required.
First came 15 centimeters of gravel, followed by 5 centimeters of sand.
After smoothing the surface, the three Mudsdale worked together to compress the roadbed.
Then wooden strips were placed along both sides, and ropes were stretched to mark clean dividing lines.
Finally, the obsidian stones were laid.
Large pieces formed the main pattern.
Smaller stones filled the gaps.
Once the stones were laid, Hayato Sora reminded the Mudsdale,
"Use a little less strength this time. Just press the stones into the foundation."
"Brr-brr!"
The Mudsdale nodded.
The three brothers carefully tapped the obsidian into the foundation layer with minimal force.
Their control over strength was incredibly precise—far better than most Pokémon.
"Beautiful work!"
Hayato Sora praised them while asking Kangaskhan to help fill the gaps with pottery clay the Mudsdale had produced.
This clay was even stronger than cement, making it perfect for sealing the cracks.
Afterward, Mudsdale used Stomping Tantrum again to compact the clay and reinforce the entire road.
Even building just the path from the ranch gate to the ranch house took more than two hours.
Standing in front of the ranch house with his hands on his hips, Hayato Sora watched Cinccino and the others happily hopping along the obsidian road.
A proud smile spread across his face.
As long as the Pokémon liked it—
That was enough.
After resting for a while, Hayato Sora was about to call the Mudsdale to start building the second road.
Suddenly—
He heard the cheerful cries of the three Noibat from far away.
They were flying quickly toward the ranch, heading straight for him.
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